Commentarii in evangelium Joannis
“from where I came and where I am going. * * * you judge according to the flesh, “I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, my judgment is true, because
righteousness.” But if anyone thinks we are forcing the point by saying that to believe is not the same as to know, and that it is possible to believe
did not know the lord (for being a son he has not experienced the father as master), so observing the same God we will accept nothing absurd, saying t
but first the truth, that so he may come to see the substance or the power beyond substance and 19.6.38 nature of God. And perhaps just as in the temp
for the common good to be benefited in two ways, from both words and from deeds, which the righteous man does, these too are well brought up into the
of the wisdom spoken to the perfect, hidden in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for the glory of His righteous ones, and to those
contain freedom. But who are they who will know or who will lift him up? as he himself teaches, saying, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then
“You will die” is taken as the death of the enemy of Christ, as one who has sinned unto death dies, it is clear that those to whom these things were s
have come to be in incorruption? Therefore, can those who have been in ignorance and in unbelief and in sins come to be in incorruption if they were t
to have said as a unique feature of his departure from here, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” for neither would Mos
of myself and the Father who sent me bears witness of me». 19.18.110 But what is plausible about killing himself after the words spoken in this more b
they said more simply, Will he kill himself? as if Jesus were going to kill himself and be in the place of those who have taken their own lives and
For earthly things are below, but heavenly things are above, so that in this respect, the one who is from below is in every way from this world, but t
Moreover <therefore> you will intelligibly understand † the thoughts of descending 19.22.145 things. At the same time, however, see if you might not h
<would> act irra 19.23.156 tionally. In addition to this, he who believes that He is our peace, would not do anything of war and sedition. But also
[of them] having been sown in their souls have come to dwell in the life of men. 20.2.6 But the cause of these things, according to great and ineffabl
to have become less than both of the brothers. 20.3.14 It is possible, therefore, for one not being of the seed of Abraham—since, because of the story
having governed.” And the same thing seems to me to be represented by the destruction of Sodom and of their land, of which “a testimony of their wicke
it has been said similarly. 20.6.40 But these people, to whom the word is addressed, seem not to contain the word, which is not able to enter into the
to the savior who has heard from the Father and has learned from him but the phrase “Therefore you also do what you have heard from the father,” bein
«But Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness», and thinking that this is what Do the works of Abraham refers to, so that i
«to him sheep and calves and donkeys and 20.10.74 'boys and girls and mules and camels.'» To speak about each of these would be the work of someone wi
has become human. For if he has become human, it is possible for him to be sought out to be killed but if he has not become human, then the Word who
to do,” even if we had not clearly 20.13.98 known the will of the one who spoke. But it is not surprising if to the Jews who had believed in him, but
John said, Everyone who sins has not seen him, <showing> through the has seen him that those who see the Son of God are always able to be so, and
is added, «You do the works of your father,» we inquire whether this was written on account of the first 20.15.124 commandment given to Abraham. The f
is one body but he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 20.17.n Jesus said to them: If God were your Father, you would love me for I came from
You shall not perjure yourself, but you shall pay to the Lord your oaths but I say to you, do not swear at all <the> That you may become sons of
sent forth by the divine will. 20.20.n Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. 20.20.163 The reason, he says, that my speech i
to be a certain one <not> in substance from creation, but having become such from a change and his own choice, and thus, so that I may name it 20.21.1
forgetting the better substance in us we will subordinate ourselves to the form from the dust, and the better part will take on the image of the earth
might say that it is sufficient for being a son of God to wish to do His desires, even if to this is not added the doing of the works of God. But it m
they will say. But see whether perhaps, even if this argument seems very plausible, being applied dissimilarly it is able to carry one away and deceiv
deceived and Eve gave to the hus 20.25.222 band from the tree, and the man ate. however, understanding according to the deeper aspects of the doctrine
of the Lord, we shall not «precede those who have fallen asleep for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the «voice
men, you are dying.” If, then, anyone else 20.27.243 has not stood in the truth, it is clear that the devil also, a murderer from the beginning, and t
now to those. I consider every evil and deceitful spirit to be a lie, and each of these when it speaks, to speak from its own things and in no way fro
<αὐτὸν> 20.30.271 believe and do not believe. And then again, those who believe in the Father of Jesus Christ, but do not believe in the creator and m
theoretical visions of truth are not purified, because they have been veiled or 20.32.285 thickened or muddied by wickedness. But understanding what i
One does not become a son of the Father in heaven in any other way than by loving his own enemies and praying for those who persecute him, it is clear
and that the one who knows all the mysteries and all knowledge, and with these has achieved perfect 20.34.306 love, is wholly from God. But see if it
saying, You have a demon I do not have a demon. 20.35.317 And see if the parable in the Gospel according to Luke can be applied to this, concerni
of cures, in which are also the expulsions of demons, we will say that demons are always driven out by Jesus from all those who, because they have bee
of you». It is clear then that when Jesus said in the most masterful and most perfect way: 'I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father,' his imitato
it has been said, “All that is mine is yours,” it is clear that also this judgment about which he says, “My judgment is just,” is the Father's judgmen
to prevent death from being seen. And so one must hear the words, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death for ever,” as if he who said these
keeps it, he will never taste death for ever. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died who do you make yourself out t
being pitied for this. Therefore, even if Abraham died, yet he lived and no longer saw death 20.42.395 from the time when, seeing the day of Jesus, he
the Lord can be tasted and seen, 20.43.408 so also his enemy, death, can be tasted and is seen. And its tastable aspect is presented by There are som
him. And the «Who then do you make yourself?» was the voice of those who had not perceived that Jesus did not make himself what 20.44.421 he is. There
Jesus. But if you are able, consider why in the case of the cave the stone lying upon it is not rolled away but is lifted, while in the case of the we
in imitation of Christ's prayer when he is about to pray, lifting up the eyes of his soul and raising them from the affairs and memory and notions and
of themselves, not to look to heaven nor to remember righteous judgments, they repented, having made an attempt on the woman but not obtaining what th
the Father's will having hearkened to Jesus, and seeing her entering through the place, from where the stone was taken away, he said: Father, I thank
bound and tied by his own sins, living on the one hand through repentance and having heard the voice of Jesus, but on the other hand, because he has n
the Father to have made the soul of Lazarus return 28.9.69 to his body which was laid away in the tomb for one might say that the Father, having hear
having come to Mary and having seen what he did believed in 28.11.81 him. And especially because of the spiritual interpretation I am moved that per
of a power coming into being so that for this reason he was not able to do all things, nor to deliver 28.12.90 himself from their plot. They therefor
pursue,7 and 7wisely pursue wisdom,7 and 28.13.104 analogously for the other virtues. We said these things in order to make a comparison to someone
scribes, and they led him to their council. 28.14.115 But Mark says that Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, came to the chief priests in order to
because Jesus was not yet glorified. And if there was no spirit even in the apostles before Jesus was glorified, how much more was it not in Caiapha
himself to consider the things that follow from the sayings that have been set out concerning how Caiaphas prophesied. But perhaps these things also m
except for God, he might taste death for everyone», and he will punctuate 28.18.155 after «For everyone» or after «Except for God, for everyone». He w
unto death, even death on a cross,» the judgment was taken away for so I understand the text: «In His humiliation His judgment was taken away» so th
he says of the sick: Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, and as if there were righteous men, he says: I have
for one who has fallen into the struggle of confessing Jesus not to shrink from the confession, 28.23.194 nor to hesitate about dying for the truth. B
indeed, 'he said to them: I 28.23.207 am he,' [of power] they went backward and fell to the ground.” Then after this, because he wished to undertake t
He remained with 28.24.222 the disciples. And until now Jesus is with his disciples near the desert, in a city called Ephraim for he is present 28.24
sin of the world. And these Jews were seeking Jesus, not that they might be benefited, but that they might kill him to whom he might have said: «But n
Iscariot, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rises from supper and lays
door, I will come in to him ‘and I will dine with him, and he with me,’ perhaps Jesus neither has breakfast with anyone (for he does not need an intro
the Father has given to him into his hands, and in Christ all will be made alive, the righteousness of God is not confused, nor the principle that eac
he rises from supper, and for a time stops eating, until he should wash the feet of the disciples, they being unable to have a part with him, unless h
we will use what was said in due course for the sake of an example, if it should be necessary, that it is possible for someone with the best intention
the feet of the disciples, but also of his fellow students. For if he himself, as he thought, did what was fitting in wishing to prevent it, but they
that has been said: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the 32.7.79 good news.” But if by washing the feet of the disciples he makes them
for “Every man is a liar” and we shall opportunely use the saying at some point against those who have said rather rashly and without judgment that
we will be content but the things that contribute to wealth and luxury accrue to the delicate-living from abundance, not as necessary and things wit
what defiles 32.10.117 his feet he casts off. And no one in his right mind would say that as he is the door, or as he is the shepherd, or as he is the
being discipled by falsehoods. 32.12.131 Yet even a holy person may need the washing of feet, since the widow who is enrolled for ecclesiastical honor
it has that reference. But the teachings according to the passage, how the feet of disciples who have already bathed are soiled, and in what way they
I hoped, he who ate my bread magnified against me a supplanting. 32.14.158 Therefore the Savior says this saying was spoken concerning Judas and hims
to the Lord, not accusing themselves as faithless they said to him, Lord, add to us faith for indeed in the add it is clearly shown that they had
having created and established and made all things from non-being into being all things. But one must also believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and in a
a servant is greater than his lord, nor an apostle greater than him who sent him. 32.17.202 According to this, then, he will not err in calling John
Is 'the spirit of Jesus was troubled' analogous to 'Now my soul is troubled,' or is 'He was troubled in spirit' analogous to 'Now my soul is troubled'
imitating his 32.18.234 fall, sinners fall. For as he, being in divinity, has fallen, so also those to whom the word says, “I said: You are gods, and
relating that with good reason the disciples at the word of the Lord 32.19.247 looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he was speaking of. But i
of the gospel it is written that «Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved follow»ing, which also leaned on his breast at supper, and
a spiritual law, showing the way of life to be pure and 32.21.269 restored to the will of the nature of the Word. And observe that to these is added t
the Lord to Judas, but he then put aside something better that was within him, and perhaps the peace, which returns from the one who heard but did not
of those who did not understand in what way he said: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass,” but most courageously for the 32.23.296 contest,
to a cup, which for a better underlying disposition works what is better, but for a worse one produces condemnation so the morsel from Jesus was of t
was glorified in him.” But the glory on account of the death for men was not of the only-begotten Word and Wisdom and Truth, who was not by nature sub
they spoke of his departure which he was about to fulfill 32.27.336 “in Jerusalem”. And Paul, see for what things he takes up the name of glory: for w
But one must venture to suggest what in 32.28.350 the passage can be sought. And I ask whether it is possible for God to be glorified, apart from bein
the Son of Man in 32.29.364 God, the lesser in the greater. And the glory is much more excellent in the Son when the Father glorifies Him, than in the
of the age») but by the fulfillment of «You will all be offended because «of Me this night. For it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, «and the s
“Where I am going, you cannot come,” the “As I said to the Jews,” although we thought these things were said more simply, referring to the departure o
to be a certain one <not> in substance from creation, but having become such from a change and his own choice, and thus, so that I may name it 20.21.175 in a new way, having it become his nature. At any rate, someone avoiding as absurd the assertion that the antichrist is a lie, will say that the phrase "When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources" applies to all who lie; for when the lie in each of those who lie speaks, it "speaks from the own resources" of the lie; but also "His father is a liar" † he will refer to each one who utters a lie from his own mouth being the father of the lie he speaks; and such an interpretation will not be unconvincing. And let these things have been said as pertaining to the difficulty of the saying set before us. 20.22.176 But since, in explaining "You do the works of your father," we have already spoken on this, having gathered from many sources things that seemed useful to us for the explanation, we will not reasonably now spend more time on the passage. Except if someone by doing sin has been born of the devil and has not abolished that birth from him out of himself, this one wishes to do not one but several desires of such a father; and since the desires in every son of the devil are born from the desires in the devil, it is clear that his desires are the mindset of matter and of corruption, which one might properly say are enmities 20.22.177 toward God. Therefore, to say that murders and injustices and covetousness are his desires, begetting in his sons desires similar to these, is not incongruous; but also to say that, generally, impurities, being by nature contrary to purity, are his desires, from which the desires for impure things 20.22.178 are born in the children of the devil, is not hard to accept. But one would not easily accept that his desire is also fornication or adultery or pederasty or effeminacy, even if one is at a loss as to how these desires in men come from the desires in him, as far as the text is concerned, as if something universal were presented concerning the desires in men, that men wish to do the desires of their father, so that all things which they unlawfully 20.22.179 desire were previously the desires of their father. For such is the saying, "And you wish to do the desires of your father." But it must be said in response to this that the devil desires that this boy, for example, be corrupted, and this woman commit adultery, and these men commit fornication, and desiring these things he produces in those who are able to serve him a desire to do the things which he wishes to effect, so that, according to this, the one who effects fornication or adultery may be said to fornicate and commit adultery 20.22.180 before the man does. And the same you will say also concerning every sin; for example, the devil does not desire money, but he desires to make men lovers of money and attached to material things; And those who love money wish to do this desire of his in no other way 20.22.181 than by wishing. Therefore it is necessary for us to pay attention to all that we wish to do and to examine whether what we wish to do is from the desires of the devil; so that, from having contemplated the things that are from the desires of the devil, we may cease wishing to do them, knowing that everyone who wishes to do the desires of the devil is in no way from God the Father, but has become a child of the devil, and from wishing to do the desires of the worse one is being formed and becoming in the image of the evil father, from 20.22.182 whom the images of that earthly one come and are shaped. For he was the first earthly one, who, by having first fallen away from better things and having desired a life other than the better life, became worthy to be the beginning neither of a creation nor of a work, but of "a thing formed by the Lord, made to be mocked by his angels." And our primary substance is in that which is according to the image of the creator; but the one from a cause is in the thing formed, taken from the dust 20.22.183 of the earth. And if indeed as it were
εἶναί τινα <οὐ> τῇ ὑποστάσει ἐκ κατασκευῆς, ἀλλὰ ἐκ μεταβολῆς καὶ ἰδίας προαιρέσεως τοιοῦτον γεγενημένον, καὶ οὕτως, ἵνα καινῶς
ὀνο 20.21.175 μάσω, πεφυσιωμένον. φεύγων γοῦν τις ὡς ἄτοπον τὸ φάσκειν εἶναι ψεῦδος τὸν ἀντίχριστον, ἐρεῖ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐφαρμόζειν
τοῖς ψευδομένοις τὸ «Ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ»· τὸ γὰρ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ψευδομένων ψεῦδος ἐπὰν λαλῇ, «ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων»
τοῦ ψεύδους «λαλεῖ»· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ «Ψεύστης ἐστὶν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ» † ἀνενέγκει ἐπὶ τὸ ἕκαστον τὸν προφερόμενον ψεῦδος ἐκ στόματος
ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα εἶναι οὗ λαλεῖ ψεύδους· καὶ οὐκ ἀπίθανός γε ἔσται ἡ τοιαύτη ἀπό δοσις. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς παρακείμενα τῇ ἀμφιβολίᾳ
τοῦ ἐκκειμένου ἡμῖν ῥητοῦ εἰρήσθω. 20.22.176 Ἐπεὶ δὲ διηγούμενοι τὸ «Ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ «πατρὸς ὑμῶν» προλαβόντες καὶ
εἰς τοῦτο εἰρήκαμεν, πολλαχόθεν τὰ φανέντα ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν διήγησιν χρήσιμα συναγαγόντες, οὐκ εὐλόγως νῦν προσδιατρίψομεν τῷ
τόπῳ. πλὴν εἴ τις τῷ ποιεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου γεγέννηται καὶ μὴ κατήργησεν τὴν ἀπ' ἐκείνου γέ νεσιν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ,
οὗτος οὐ μίαν ἀλλὰ πλείονας ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ τοιού του πατρὸς ποιεῖν ἐθέλει· καὶ τῶν ἐν παντὶ υἱῷ διαβόλου ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀπὸ τῶν
ἐν τῷ διαβόλῳ ἐπιθυμιῶν γεννωμένων, σαφὲς ὅτι αἱ ἐκεί νου ἐπιθυμίαι φρόνημα ὕλης εἰσὶν καὶ φθορᾶς, ἃς κυρίως ἔχθρας 20.22.177
εἴποι τις ἂν εἶναι πρὸς θεόν. φόνους μὲν οὖν καὶ ἀδικίας καὶ πλεονεξίας φάσκειν εἶναι τὰς ἐκείνου ἐπιθυμίας, γεννώσας ἐν υἱοῖς
αὐτοῦ παραπλησίως ταύταις ἐπιθυμίας, οὐκ ἀπεμφαίνει· ἀλλὰ καὶ γενικῶς ἀκαθαρσίας τῇ φύσει ἐναντίας τυγχανούσας τῇ καθαρότητι
λέ γειν εἶναι τὰς ἐκείνου ἐπιθυμίας, ἀφ' ὧν αἱ πρὸς τὰ ἀκάθαρτα ἐπιθυμίαι 20.22.178 ἐγγίνονται τέκνοις τοῦ διαβόλου, οὐ δυσπαράδεκτόν
ἐστιν. τὸ δὲ καὶ πορνείαν λέγειν εἶναι τὴν ἐκείνου ἐπιθυμίαν ἢ μοιχείαν ἢ παιδο φθορίαν ἢ μαλακότητα οὐκ εὐχερῶς ἄν τις παραδέξοιτο,
κἂν ἀπορῇ πῶς αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι αὗται ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν ἐκείνῳ γίνονται ἐπιθυμιῶν, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ λέξει, οἱονεὶ καθολικοῦ τινος
παρισταμένου περὶ τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐπιθυμιῶν, ὡς ἄρα θέλουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν ποιεῖν, ὥστε πάντα,
ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν 20.22.179 παρανόμως, πρότερον ἐπιθυμίας εἶναι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν. τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστιν τὸ «Καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ
πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν». λεκτέον δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα ὅτι ὁ διάβολος ἐπιθυμεῖ φθαρῆναι τόνδε, φέρε εἰπεῖν, τὸν παῖδα, καὶ μοιχευθῆναι
τήνδε, καὶ πορνεῦσαι τούσδε, καὶ τούτων ἐπιθυμῶν ἐμποιεῖ τοῖς δυναμένοις αὐτῷ ὑπηρετήσασθαι ἐπιθυμίαν τοῦ ποιῆσαι, ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος
ἐνεργῆσαι βούλεται, ὥστ' ἂν κατὰ τοῦτο τὸν ἐνεργοῦντα τὴν πορνείαν ἢ τὴν μοιχείαν πρότερον 20.22.180 λέγειν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πορνεύειν
καὶ μοιχεύειν. τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ περὶ πάσης ἁμαρτίας ἐρεῖς· οἷον ὁ διάβολος ἀργυρίων μὲν οὐκ ἐπιθυμεῖ, ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ φιλαργύρους
ποιῆσαι καὶ προσπαθεῖς τοῖς ὑλικοῖς πράγ μασιν· ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτοῦ θέλουσι ποιεῖν οἱ οὐκ ἄλλως 20.22.181 ἢ τῷ θέλειν
φιλοῦντες τὸ ἀργύριον. διόπερ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν ἐφι στάνειν ἡμᾶς πᾶσιν οἷς θέλομεν ποιεῖν καὶ ἐξετάζειν μήποτε ὃ θέ λομεν ποιεῖν
ἐκ τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπιθυμιῶν ἐστιν· ἵνα ἐκ τοῦ τεθεωρηκέναι τὰ ἐκ τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπιθυμιῶν παυσώμεθα θέλειν ποιεῖν ἐκεῖνα,
εἰδότες πάντα τὸν θέλοντα ποιεῖν τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπιθυμίας ἐκ πατρὸς μὲν οὐδαμῶς εἶναι θεοῦ, διαβόλου δὲ γεγονέναι τέκνον,
καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐθέλειν ποιεῖν τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ χείρονος μορφούμενον καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα γινόμενον τοῦ πονηροῦ πατρός, ἀφ' 20.22.182
οὗ ἔρχονται καὶ τυποῦνται αἱ ἐκείνου τοῦ χοϊκοῦ εἰκόνες. πρῶτος γὰρ χοϊκὸς ἐκεῖνος, τῷ πρῶτος ἀποπεπτωκὼς τῶν κρειττόνων καὶ
ἐπιτεθυμηκὼς ἑτέρας παρὰ τὴν κρείττονα ζωῆς ζωὴν ἄξιος γεγονέναι τοῦ ἀρχὴν αὐτὸν εἶναι οὔτε κτίσματος οὔτε ποιήματος ἀλλὰ
«πλά «σματος κυρίου, πεποιημένον ἐγκαταπαίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων «αὐτοῦ». καὶ ἡμῶν δὲ ἡ προηγουμένη ὑπόστασίς ἐστιν ἐν τῷ
κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος· ἡ δὲ ἐξ αἰτίας ἐν τῷ ληφθέντι ἀπὸ τοῦ χοῦ 20.22.183 τῆς γῆς πλάσματι. καὶ εἰ μὲν ὡσπερεὶ
